80-Year-Old Lands Plane After Husband Passes Out

Sturgeon Bay Couple Helps Woman Land Safely

An 80-year-old Sturgeon Bay woman is recovering.after her husband had a heart attack in the cockpit of their airplane just a few miles from home.

Another Sturgeon Bay couple helped her land the plane safely.

As the plane circled above Sturgeon Bay on Monday, emergency dispatchers were sending out a wide call for help.

Door County Dispatch: "Door County Law Enforcement, this is Lily." Federal Aviation Administration Sturgeon Bay: "There's a little bit of a situation there up at the airport there right now. A lady up in her airplane, her husband was a pilot, and she thinks he's having a heart attack right now, in the air."

John and Helen Collins were nearly home from a trip to Marco Island, Fla., when 81-year-old John Collins lost consciousness at the controls.

Brown County Dispatch: "He is unconscious at this time." Door County Dispatch: "He is unconscious now?" Brown County Dispatch: "Yeah. The aircraft's circling right now." Door County Dispatch: "She does not know how? Is anybody there able to talk her through it?" Brown County Dispatch: "She said she is not a pilot. It's her and her husband only. She does not know anything about flying whatsoever."

As the Collins family gathered at the airport below, another husband and wife team arrived to help bring the plane down.

"I got the feeling that John was slumped over the controls," Cathy Vuksanovic said. "So, our concern was would she be able to manipulate the controls with him slumped over it."

Vuksanovic You're too high go left, power up, power up, power up, power up, power up. Don't pull back, no, power up, keep your wings level, that's it full power, full power, full power, go up, up, up, up, pull pull pull pull pull a little bit pull up.Helen I'm running out of gas.Vuksanovic No you're doing fine, you're doing fine bring it around.Helen No, my left engine, my right engine is out.Vuksanovic Do you know where the turn switch is so you can turn the nose up?Vuksanovic Um....Yeah my husband's got his leg up against it, I don't know if I can turn it.

The recording is 45 minutes long. Through it all, Helen Collins remains calm, and even brings levity to a very serious situation.

Vuksanovic Okay tower close the road, close the road over. Helen What do you mean by close the road?Vuksanovic Oh I was talking to the people on the ground Helen.Helen Don't you have any faith in me?Vuksanovic I do. I don't trust the drivers on the road.

After several circles, it was time to land using just one engine, something some experienced pilots could have trouble with.

Vuksanovic Power off, power off, nose up ok you're down. Great Job Helen, great job!

Once the plane landed, rescue workers took both Collinses to the hospital, where they pronounced John Collins dead and treated Helen Collins for minor injuries.

Vuksanovic's husband, Rob, is a former Midwest Express pilot and an instructor. He was also a friend of John Collins.

"A very excited aviator, he loved to fly," Rob Vuksanovic said.

John Collins was a prominent Sturgeon Bay businessman and founder of C & S Manufacturing, which made parts for heating, air-conditioning and plumbing industries.

No one there wanted to talk on camera, but Rob Vuksanovic said the couple flew for work and for fun. Rob Vuksanovic flew the couple's second plane to guide Helen Collins in.

"Helen never quit flying the airplane until an emergency medical technician egressed her from the aircraft. We were absolutely astonished by her performance. She is the true hero. She saved her life," Rob Vuksanovic said.

The Collinses' son told The Associated Press his dad insisted his mom learn to land a plane about 30 years ago in case something ever happened to him.